Even harder than naming your children is naming an Etsy shop….

Every time I think I have something great, someone allready has it, or one very similar to it and is doing the same type of stuff - so we can’t have that.

and there are a lot of names involving frogs

I have a thing for frogs, and the kissing a frog theme is so perfect… common stuff to cool stuff…

Well, I looked at the blog from the front porch the other day. It sure could use a fresh coat of paint and maybe replanting of the link flowers that are sparse and not updated. And the walls are bare - when was the last time I had a picture hung on the walls anyway?

With that, I give you Strawberry Pickin’. (Not Picking - Pickin’)

We went out to our favorite picking spot last Saturday - Mielke’s out in Wild Rose on County A towards Wautoma. I’m not sure if they are related to the Fiber Famous Mielkes or not, and I always want to ask, but I never do. It would be awkward if not. Just like when people used to ask me if I was related to a famous gymnast with my maiden name. While in other parts of the country it’s as common as Schmidt is around here, it’s not a common one here - so when I became Imported Cheese, a few people were always fascinated about who I may be related to. That and everyone around here seems to be related to someone. That is a weird concept in my family, that being related to anyone living in the same state as you. Wow, that was a digression…

Anyway, I decided to brave the sunlight and we went and picked a few buckets of strawberries at Mielke’s. You should go there, but go early, they only pick in the morning so the berries don’t get soft and mooshy in the heat of the day. 

I can’t believe I took this picture with my camera. It is completely unedited -  if it wasn’t for the date stamp it would be perfect. I don’t even remember where the picture was snapped - I assume outdoors, but then I can’t explain why the background is black. So, lets not analyze it and just enjoy it for the scrumptious image that it is.

I have to say the best part was when Little Mr. yelled very loudly at Mr. CH to stop eating all the strawberries: “DADDYYYY! YOU have to pay dem first!” right as one of the property owners was walking down our row. I for one do not ever eat strawberries when picking. I only like my strawberries in Jam or mixed with tequila. Now, if they made a seedless strawberry it would be a whole other story.

After we had our 11 pounds of berries we went home to make freezer jam. This was my first year making it instead of begging the sister-in-law to do it for me. We decided to try a regular version, and a low sugar version. (I was always under the impression that jam was of the healthy variety of foods,  until I saw how it was made last year. Tooth Fairy, eat your heart out on all that sugar!)

I can’t believe how easy and idiot proof it is to make freezer jam. With that being said, here are a few tips:

1 - Read the instructions in every package of Pectin. Always. No matter what.

2 - Do not assume that Low Sugar Jam is made the same as Regular Jam

3 - Do not drop f-bombs in front of the children when you suddenly read as you are dumping 4 cups of sugar into smashed strawberries, that the sugar should be mixed with the pectin and then the water, then boiled, and thenmixed with berries.You are not brilliant because you didn’t read and you viloated tips number 1 and 2. Strawberry juice mixes with sugar instantaneously. There is no saving this mistake in a decent manner and swearing will not make it go away.

4 - After you have mixed what sugar you can dig out of the bowl of strawberries with the water and pectin (which will of course be one big lump because you didn’t follow directions - *4a. A fork will come in handy here.) all the while explaining why this is a problem to an 8 year old, and yes you know you swore, and no you shouldn’t have done it, and if you ever hear that language out of their mouth they will be grounded, but you yourself are not grounded because you are the mom and for the love of god will you just hush for 3 seconds while your mommy avoids a nuclear disaster - you WILL need a larger sauce pan then planned because 4 cups of sugar (well, 3 now, 1 is all dissolved in the berries) takes up a lot of room. Don’t listen to the inner lazy voice in your head telling you it will be fine - you’ll just stir vigorously to keep the boiling from getting out of control and going over.

5 - When your spouse decides that frozen pizza isn’t what should be for dinner like you planned and proceeds to brown some venison on the stovetop for tacos WHILE you are trying to boil your sugary red mixture, you MUST stand your ground and kick him out! OUT! Kick him real hard if he asks you do dice up an onion at the same time he starts this bad behavior - or just beat him up with your pampered chef food chopper.

6 - When you fail to follow tip number 5 - just stop the cooking and go back later when the tacos are done. Do not - I repeat DO NOT try to stir your boiling sugar mixture in the too small pan while standing 2 feet away from said pan and your arms criss crossed in someone else’s arms who is stirring burning venison because tacos cooked precisely at critical jam cooking times are soo much better than pizza cooked in a pizza oven located 5 feet behind the stove and out of the way.

7 - Sugary red boiling mixtures STINK when they boil over in the pan and get on the glass top burners. There may be flames. There will definitely be smoke and a burned finger. Just follow tip number 5 or get in line for your idiot card.

8 - After you get the charred sugar to stop smoldering - don’t chop the freakin onion while you wait your turn back at the stove - you will cut your finger and cry. If you do, use your fancy shmancy food chopper - not the amazing cut through everything knife you got from Menard’s for 5 bucks.

Just follow those tips and you will have fabulous freezer jam in no time. We’re going to pick another 20 lbs or so this weekend I hope - and I’ll be sure to follow my own advise this time.

I was going to tell you about this picture too, but I think I’ve rambled enough, so I’ll just leave the picture and point out the pink mitt and ball in Little Miss’ hands. She’s got more talent than her momma in the baseball department, and that is all that needs to be said.

Other Updates

Faith, Hope, and Love- while the necklace, earrings, and 2 boxes of Girl Scout cookies (for filler, and to get them out of my sight) did sell - it was not at a very hearty price. Far less than a basket of chocolate bars or other  commercial walmartiness. The winner walked away with a steal of a deal. I probably would have bid myself and paid to buy it back and list it myself, but I was out of town, and it would probably be tacky. ha!  But, like I said, I’m okay with that. It was of a style that I wouldn’t expect to really go in this areas, but one never knows. It brought in some money, and I hope it went to someone who really loves it. The big thing is that I was moved to make it for this reason, and I did it, so now I have to trust that my part of the plan for the necklace is completed.

The Workshop- it did not produce a flexshaft. Some other awkward rotary tool, yes; something I can use, no. It was funny because I ended up popping in the garage when Mr. CH was in there and made him look for it. He looked all around and couldn’t find anything. Then he mumbled something about thinking it was in a case. I pointed to the 8 large cases sitting nicely on a top shelf. Yup…

Since Beth tagged me forever ago - I guess I better get my Meme on and acknowlege her tagging me 

Here it goes:

The rules: Posted here at the beginning. The player answers all questions. The player then chooses six people you want to know more about and tags those people by listing their names at the end of the post and going to their blog and leaving a comment, letting them know they’ve been tagged and asking them to read your blog. Also, you let the person who tagged you know when you’ve posted your answer.

Months ago I was clammering on to Mr. CH that I NEEDED lead free solder and did he know where to get any? (Aside from the fancy expensive stuff I wasn’t ready for). A few hours later he returned from the garage with a roll of the stuff, and flux. I was giddy with joy.

A few weeks later I was clammering on that I needed small clamps, wooden dowels of the 1/8″ variety, fine sand paper, small nails, and some better wire cutters. Again my wishes were granted with a trip to the garage.

This has happened repeatedly over the last several years with other items such as replacement blades for my jeweler’s saw, torches, small paintbrushes, large paintbrushes, multiple small drill bits (because I keep breaking them - ha!). I’ve learned to ask first before buying after many a “Why did you buy that? There’s one in the garage” conversation.

Finally I asked the source of all these recent wondrous supplies. Why did he have them on hand? Even though Mr. CH has a VERY large garage and lots of tools, he sometimes comes up with stuff he didn’t even know what it was for. The reply was merely two words, “The Workshop”, and a gleam of “I told you so”.

Nothing more needed to be said, as “The Workshop” was a source of much discontentment for quite a while. Many years ago Mr. CH came home and declared that he had purchased a ‘friend’s’ entire woodworking shop for $1,000.00 (without even mention or consultation with me). It seems the owner of the shop was sick with cancer and he was up and leaving everything to go spend his remaining days with family. He just wanted to get rid of everything and be free of it. The deal had taken place over a 12 pack of beer on a late night and a check was given on the spot (goodbye house payment?) in the pre-sobriety years. I was quite livid for many many days even after being told what a great deal/opportunity this was and that it could not be passed up. Afterall, it would ‘only’ take working 2 weekends of overtime to make up the money. “It’s worth 10 times that amount! I would have been stupid to say no!” Mr. CH can’t say no to a good deal, that is for sure!

I have to admit that I softened up after the 5th overflowing truckload of tools and supplies with more to come. It truly was a bargain, even though it was money we didn’t really have at the time, but I would never admit it. I made a pact with myself that if Mr. CH should ever depart this earth early, the very next day I would auction off “the workshop” dirt cheap and still make a profit, thus putting a right to his wrong. (Horrible thoughts, I know, but hey, a girl must always know how she will pay the bills on her own! A lesson I should have learned earlier than I did.) Then, I put it out of my mind.

Last night I was working on another necklace and decided that this would really be a good time to have one of those flex-shaft tools that I have had my eye on owning ever since my days of metalsmithing in college, but never had the spare money or occasion to purchase. I couldn’t find my small $10 drill and was in need of a rotary tool.

At the end of the evening I walked up to Mr. CH and said, “So, you happen to have a flexshaft in that there workshop?” just for the hey of it. While I must admit, “Ask and ye shall recieve” has been working out pretty well for me in the tool/supply department, I really did not expect to be rewarded in this case. Surely such a gem would have surfaced to my vision before now.

“What is that?”, he asked. (Isn’t it always fun when you know more about a tool than your husband?)

“A rotary tool, kinda like a drill you know, but it’s smaller, hangs by a cord, often foot operated with a pedal. For detailed drilling and finishing work, ya know what I mean, Vern?” I replied.

“Oh, is that what that thing is? I think there is one out there. There’s a bunch of small disk and wheely attachments in the same box, so maybe that’s what that stuff is all for. I’ll check tomorrow.”, he replied.

At which point I jumped up on the bed and said, “Are YOU KIDDING ME? There’s one out there?!?”

Dude, if there is a flex-shaft sitting on that counter when I get home tonight, all will be forgiven!

Can we tell I am procrastinating today?

Whilst my lovely cherubs of love try to drive one another to insanity as I am trying to dilligently work in the church basement lets have a little fun. Oh, I must mention the source of their war - a WORKING child size piano, microphone, and DRUM SET that someone has dropped off for the church rummage sale. So, when they aren’t screaming at each other, they are drumming, banging on the piano and singing. The first look I saw of those items I thought I may buy them myself. I know better now!

I have resorted to plugging in the ipod and headphones and turning them on “loud” - this way I can only hear the most dire of complaints and screams. Let me share my playlist with you as the trusty ole Nano shuffles as distraction for myself:

Boats to Build - Jimmy Buffett

Breathe in Breath out - Jimmy Buffett (hehe, kind of appropriate)

I’m Wrong, but You ain’t Right - Kid Rock

What I learned out on the Road - Kid Rock

The Hang Out Gang - Jimmy Buffett

Semi-true story - Jimmy Buffett

I Got One for Ya - Kid Rock (I swear I have more than 2 artists on this thing!!)

I Can Only Imagine - Mercy Me (see, I told you!)

The Greatest - Kenny Rodgers

How Do You Like Me Now? - Toby Keith

(I Never Promised You A) Rose Garden - Martina McBride

Barefoot Children - Jimmy Buffett

What’s Left of Me - Nick Lachey

Apocalypso - Jimmy Buffett

Blue Guitar - Jimmy Buffett

Walk Over God’s Heaven - Alison Krause

Land Locked Blues - Bright Eyes

Redemption Song - Bob Marley

- oh, much better… music and art always make things better!

Ribbing is to a project like vegetables are to the food groups.

Basic, good for you, and yet so often done horribly horribly wrong by me.

I can do many great knitting tricks, I can bake and cook many great things.

I can not execute ribbing or vegetables well at all.

My veggies end up blah, mooshy, or under cooked.

My ribbing ends up loose and useless.

No matter what I do.

I just finished one of my BBF fiber socks. I started out doing a K1, S1 and then knitting the next round, just like on the heel (figured those were tight and stretchy, so would too be the top of the sock if done in the same stitch pattern). I had my doubts it was going to work on the 4th round so I switched to a traditional K1, P1 rib. Well, when it’s all said  and done, the K1, S1 worked and my K1, P1 ribbing is loose and cruddy.

Same problem with DH’s camo hat I knit him. It relaxed and stretched out beyond belief. (Or maybe that was because it was ACKrylic???! I can hope.)

My ribbing did get better with Annie Modesit’s Combination style once I learned that, but sadly, I think it’s still kind of limp and bland - like cooked veggies.

Now, will I rip? Or, will I leave it?

And on a completely other subject - if you are local to me (you know who ya’ll are) and use Fox Communities Credit Union - shoot me an email, leave me a comment, whatever. I’m researching financial institutions since my little pow wow with the bank. Or more like my 30 minute wait for a 5 minute rude conversation. I was very civil and responsible for my mistakes, but just cuz I screwed up, doesn’t mean that people get to use illogical logic.  I’m down to FCCU and M & I (which is really only even in the running because they have an ATM located 5 feet from the Hershey’s Candy Bars and Mountain Dew in the breakroom at work. I use it often. Vending machines should take check cards -  haha! Also I used them before without major problems).

Oh my - I need to hide my keys to the blog when I am so tired as last night. Tired blogging is really bad reading! I was so out of it last night, I feel like it was someone else doing the typing.

I was up bright and early at 5am this morning - just in time to reset the alarm clock and stove timer (patented double alarm system you know) to 5:30 am. I did finally really get up at 5:30 - but only after I made myself stay awake long enough to get the coffee going. That did the trick.

I sat and enjoyed my cup of coffee, watched Craft Lab and then got to work on cleaning the kitchen and doing a load of laundry. If I can make myself get out of bed early, I really do enjoy cleaning in the morning. That is so very sick and wrong, I know!! I guess that is what motherhood without peace and quiet will do to a person - make them get up and insane hours just to clean in peace - haha!

The rest of the afternoon after work I need to go pay my bank a visit and have a little pow wow with them and see how bad they would like to keep me as a customer. I dread this with my every being!

Maybe I can go buy a couple beads after it’s all done to make me feel better. After that the afternoon is devoted creative productivity to the max. I have several projects going on that require my attention today.

Is the summer flying by for everyone else? I can’t believe how fast it is going!

Edited to add the one thing I keep telling myself I must write:

Ixnay on the Lanketbay!

I hemmed and hawwed all day as to weather I should ask my neice that I was knitting the mitered blanket for if she liked the intended color pattern. I had allready asked about a blanket and really didn’t get one responce one way or the other. Well, I showed her and I am very VERY grateful for having done so. I told her that if she didn’t like it she better tell me so I could do something she likes. It turns out the girl doesn’t really like knit blankets and was getting rid of the ones she did have. She asked for cute hats, socks, and baby mittens instead.

One word:

PHEW!!

and also, “Thank God!!!”

I was seriously wondering how I was gonna pull the banket off!!! I know I can whip out baby socks and baby hats in two months! (and I don’t have to learn how to seam just yet!)

I feel like I’ve run a marathon worth of steps but only moved about 50 feet!

Friday night I was up until 1am getting ready for the rummage sale. I got up a 5 am to go get ice, coffee, and put up signs. It was a tragically SLOW rummage day! I have most everything left - blah.

Also, did you know if you are pharmacutically sensitive to the sun you can get sunburned pretty badly by sitting in the garage running a sale all day? Yep, you can! I will be living as a vampire for the next few days now that my skin feels like it’s on fire when I’m even outside for a minute. The strange cold tinglies are back to - can’t wait until they turn into the hot sparkies before going away.

So, I finally got home and in bed about 10:30. Mr. CH’s pager for the fire dept. went off at 11:10 and woke me up. It was a house fire - fully engulfed. I contemplated calling him to let him know if he was close to home (on the way from work) to let him know to just head to the fire station for the call. Not a minute after that my cell phone rang and it was him in a worked up “this is business” state. For a second I thought he was in an accident, and had that call been for an accident I woulda dropped faint right there when I heard his voice thinking it was him. He hurridly asked me if his pager went off yet, which I thought odd. When I said it had he started shouting a mile a minute - he was at the house - he pulled up just as someone stopped to call 911. He saw the lit up sky on the way home and figured someone’s bon fire had gotten out of control (that area is a tinderbox of dead pines) so he figured he’d go see if he could help at the fire, surely the trucks were allready there. He said it was completely engulfed when he pulled up and not a fire truck in sight and he was heading to the station.

The house was my daughter’s best friend’s Dad’s girlfriend’s house (say that three times fast!). Now, I always worry about the structure fires - especially after hearing tales of standing on spongy roofs and the like at the annual events. Mr. CH is not permitted to tell me details like that. I am extremely proud of him for being a volunteer fireman - but I do not need to know the details about the fires! Allthough another part of me wants an emergency scanner so I can listen in on the goings on and details of the fire-fight.

After I hung up with him I cursed myself for not doing the ussual rushed shout of “I love you, be safe!” (Because we all know if you tell people things like that, they will!) and then I went outside to wait for the trucks to go on past the house. The fire was probably less than a mile from our house. I couldn’t see the fire though, too many trees and hills in the way.

A couple minutes later I heard the sirens and waited a couple minutes until they flew by the house. I mentally pictured the friends we have in the trucks and said a little prayer as each one passed, then I said a prayer for all the other departments as they drove by. And then I prayed that no one was home when the house caught fire - especially my daughter’s friend.

After that it was really hard to go back to sleep. I laid in bed and listened to the tanker trucks drive to and from the lake bringing water and finally dozed off around 1. House fire calls ussually have Mr. CH gone for 3 - 4 hours. I figured this would be about 3 since there wasn’t anything left to save. I awoke with a startle at 5am. Mr. CH wasn’t in our bed and the living room TV wasn’t on, so I knew he wasn’t home. I flew out of bed and checked the phone. Nothing. Then reflexes from the old days kicked in and I wondered if he was passed out somewhere and called his cell phone. He picked up on the 3rd call. He was at the fire station waiting to be released. This was by far the longest call he’s been on since our June 11th storm back in 2001 - but that was atleast cutting trees to clear roads. Since no one was home when it started (thank god!) they had to stay until the investigation team could get in, and they couldn’t investigate until daylight. I doubt they will ever know the cause, but it will be interesting to hear.

So - we were super bumps on a log today. I am dead tired. The kids are crabby. I had great plans for doing stuff tonight after they went to bed, but I think now that I will just be asleep by 9 and get up at 4 or 5. The house is trashed again and the darn cleaning elves never show up.

Well that was a whole lota unexciting babble, wasnt it? Lets hope for an energetic Monday - goodnight all!

In order to make my new studio to be less of a dungeon, which is inherent in the fact that it is located in the dungeon;  dig out the fabric that I spent forever pricing for the rummage sale last night and remove it from the sale.

Sew said scraps together all willy nilly into a LARGE (ahem, wall size “large”) rectangle and staple over the bare wall studs all quick and dirty like. Instant wall covering/hanging surface for a pinboard. May also lighten up the space.

Also for the ceiling - have kids decorate little flags (8.5 x 8.5) for a hanging sort of banner like this , and I can add fun  and inspirational sayings and stuff to some to make the rafters a little nicer and more inspirational.. OH OH OH… have friends participate in decorating squares as well for great happy eye candy!!! FABULOUS!  I kill me with my brilliance.. okay, not really, but this idea makes me happy.

–end of note–

So, anyone want to make a flag for me to hang that I can gaze lovingly at in remembrance of you and your fabulous greatness? 

Do you rememberthis word? Since it was a long blathering post, here are the most pertinent words:

That is what I finally told myself. So Freakin What! Just Do It! The words on my charm are “Believe” on the front, and on the back “in order to BE”. I had to “Believe” so that I could do it, so that I could BE creative.

As time has gone by I’ve noticed something. Just by wearing that word around my neck on days that I don’t want to do something, on days that I am unsure of what I should be doing, and on days where I need to give people a clue of who I am as well as reminding myself who I am; I am really “Believing”.

I thought it would serve as a gentle reminder, but it’s so much more. It’s a gentle reminder that is as strong as a wall! I have actually started to define myself as an artist, admitting I have creative talent worth sharing (ya, I know Ma - ‘duh’). I have found the courage to stick with something I love and to allow myself to do it before wiping off the stove or vacuuming the floor. I’m putting ME first. I’m also allowing myself to mess things up instead of letting the possibility of messing stuff up keeping me from even doing it.

I’ve made things that a lot of other people don’t really get, but they are things that “I” get, and it’s so much better to me. I love what I am doing, and that is all that matters. I’ve made things and shown them to people, proudly proclaiming my work. Some have loved them, more have admitted they are confused - and I’ve been perfectly fine with that. [Some of it confuses me when I look back, too, but it's part of the process, and I get that]  This is huge.

This weekend I needed some wire. I went to a small jumbled store where I have never been and just went right on up to the counter and asked where it was. This is not something I would normally do. I would look around discreatly for 10 or 15 minutes, say no when someone asked if they could help me,  and then leave if I couldn’t find it. There is no way I would ask. I don’t know why, it’s just a weird quirk of mine. 

All with just one little word.

And of course my friends in blogland. You let me ramble and babble and toss things off of you, encouraging me even more. You’re each a brick in that wall of “Believe”. That is what I love about blogging. We encourage each other, listen, and sometimes even just tolerate each other, all in the name of holding each other and ourselves up. How wonderful.

It reminds me of another word you should go read about if you haven’t already. Hope.

And then if you need even more spirit lifting inspiration, check out Franklin’s post for today.

Just Believe!